


The Queen's Secret

by DarkPhoenixGoddess10



Series: Anne and Richard: Inspired by Fairy Tales [12]
Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-26
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-02-18 20:51:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2361791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkPhoenixGoddess10/pseuds/DarkPhoenixGoddess10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“All men are the same. If you were married, you will never have your own voice. You are forever your husband’s prisoner. But, you will have everything you want if you are a widow with a son.”</p><p>Lady Anne Neville's first marriage was everything but a nightmare. After the fall of Lancastrians, her mother-in-law Marguerite of Anjou gave her a gift that will bring her freedom and power. With that, Lady Anne stepped into the arena of corruption, schemes, passions, and death.</p><p>Based on a prompt from AnnetheSeaMaiden and the fairy tale "Little Mermaid".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dowager Princess of Wales

**Author's Note:**

  * For [annetheseamaiden](https://archiveofourown.org/users/annetheseamaiden/gifts).



She opened her coffer and took out her jewelry box. She counted her jewels and then her gold coins. Her possessions were enough for ten years of a peasant’s spending. However, it was not enough for a noble lady. Her brother-in-law George had promised her more gifts. In her heart, Anne knew what his attempts were. Her sister Isabel the Duchess of Clarence was frail. If she were to die, George would marry her and thus inherit the entire Warwick estate.

Lady Anne Neville, the Duchess of Clarence…

It didn’t sound appealing to her at all.

She didn’t just want to be a royal duchess.

She wanted to be queen.

No, she wanted to be _the_ Queen.

Whatever little money she had now, she would spend it all. They’d be good investments; in the end, she would have the crown.

At the bottom of her coffer was a locket. It was a gift from her formidable mother-in-law Marguerite of Anjou.

When she was married to her son, her life was anything but good. Edward of Lancaster was an immature boy with a violent streak. He harbored no interest in women. Rather, his interests were torture and violence. He hailed that one day he would see the three sons of York’s head on spikes. As his wife, Anne suffered pain and humiliation. She was not sorry to hear about his death.

The formidable militant Queen was now a prisoner of York King Edward IV. Anne recalled the moment when they—two Lancastrian ladies—were taken from Conventry to London. In a littler, Anne sat victoriously while Marguerite remained silent. Compared to Marguerite, Anne was more fortunate. She had a sister who was on the York side; and Cecily Duchess of York was her grandaunt by blood helped her cause as well. But not Marguerite, for she was the executioner of Duke of York, father to Edward IV. Her Wheel of Fortune was not turning for her.

“You look happy,” the French-born former Queen of England remarked.

“My suffering is coming to an end,” Anne replied almost haughtily. “Your monstrous son is dead. I am free.”

“Or so you think,” Marguerite laughed into her face. “Men…all of them are monsters.”

Anne tilted her head, as if she was waiting for her to continue.

“When I married my Henry,” Marguerite began. “He was not gentle at all. He was violent, just like my son.” She pulled down her collar to show Anne her dimmed scars. “He beat me and hurt me.”

“How can you bear all this?” Anne asked.

“I didn’t,” Marguerite replied chillingly. “Women…we have our own weapons.” From her folds of her dress, she took out a locket. “This is a gift from my friend, Jacquetta.”

Jacquetta was Lady of Rivers, mother to the Woodville Queen.

Anne took the locket and studied it.

“It’s poison,” Marguerite told her. “Us women have no choice when it comes to marriage, until widowhood. The King Henry beat me, until the day I used this. It did not kill him, but it did make him gentle. By then, I already have a son.” She stopped right there.

Anne looked back at her. And Lady of Rivers’ first husband…

“Keep this, consider this a gift for you,” Marguerite muttered. “All men are the same. If you were married, you will never have your own voice. You are forever your husband’s prisoner. But, you will have everything you want if you are a widow with a son.”

That locket was hidden in her coffer.

Now, she would use it—in time.

***

At the Clarence household, Anne behaved obediently as her sister’s lady-in-waiting. As low as it sounded, it did give her advantages. She managed to steal of her sister’s jewels and bribed other ladies to learn the news from the Court and about the Duke of Gloucester. George was all about wealth; but Richard the Duke of Gloucester was hunger for power. Unlike her father Earl of Warwick, Richard hid his ambitions well. In time, the lion would show its teeth.

But would the Duke of Gloucester care for a penniless daughter and wife of a traitor?

Anne had heard about the story of how the Woodville Queen bewitched the King. She was too a penniless Lancastrian widow then. But she waited for the King under the oak tree, and then…

It worked for Lady Elizabeth Grey. So why shouldn’t Lady Anne Neville try it too?

From the lips of the ladies in the Clarence household, she learned that Richard had a weakness for slim women in light shifts.

And he liked women in water…

Thus she paid the ladies and the squires to find out day when Duke of Gloucester is coming to the Clarence household. She had them move the bathtub into her chamber. She promised herself that once the Duke of Gloucester stepped into the Clarence household, his heart would be hers.

***

Richard came to his brother’s house to see his brother. He had considered marrying Lady Anne Neville but King Edward IV also had a Burgundy marriage in mind. In the hall way, a chamber’s door opened. He stopped and then went into the chamber to see what’s there.

To his surprise, he found a young lady in her white shift standing in a bathtub, about to undress to take a bath.

He cleared his throat and was about to leave. Yet, he was besotted by her.

Crossing her arms before her, she shyly asked if he could close the door to protect her privacy.

He did more than closing the door; he closed and bolted it.

Without leaving the chamber.

Slowly, she removed her shift and sat down in the bathtub and began to wash herself.

“Why are you still here?” She asked quietly, blushing.

“Because I can be,” he replied while dropping his cloak onto the ground.

“Do you know who I am?” She almost laughed. “Your deed shall earn you endless days in the Tower.”

“It’d be worth it,” he said with a tone of arrogance, undressing himself. “For one hour in your arms.”

Wearing only his breeches, he came to her and picked her up. Laid her down on a bed, he stroked her skin and kissed her breasts. “You’re beautiful…”

Anne gave him a gentle smile and moved back so that he could climb onto the bed to join her. Hovering over her, he kissed her as his hands explored her body.

His kisses were powerful…

His touches were addictive…

He held her arms over her head as he sucked her breasts. She moaned softly.

He unlaced his breeches and pulled her legs apart. She kicked his breeches away as he thrust into her. Her nails dug into his back. She cried out in pleasure.

***

The lovemaking ended with a kiss.

Never in her life could she imagine that lovemaking could be this passionate and enjoyable.

She studied the scars on his torso and shoulders. By his scars, she could guess that he is indeed Richard the Duke of Gloucester. But, just to be sure…

“You said that it’d be worth it,” she murmured against his neck. “Do you mean it, truly?”

“I do,” he said, playing with her hair.

“Do you know who I am?” Anne questioned. “If my lord the Duke of Clarence finds out, then you’re doomed.”

“Do you know who _I_ am?” He questioned back.

Anne gave him a look of curiosity.

He laughed and kissed her on the nose. Removing his ring that bore his symbol, he showed it to her. “I’m His Grace the Duke of Gloucester.”

Hearing that, Anne swiftly moved away from him with sheets covering her body.

“What is it?”

Anne said nothing but prayers.

“What is it?” He pressed, sitting up.

“We’ve sinned,” she said with fear. “I…we…we are…we are cousins…and yet we...” She looked back at him and muttered, “You don’t remember me? It’s Anne, you know me during your days of trainings at Middleham.”

It stunned him for a moment. “Anne…”

“You came to Middleham to train with my father. And then…” She began to weep.

“No Anne,” he comforted her while holding her from behind.

“So…what…what is going to happen to us?” She asked quietly.

“We will marry,” he replied with determination.

“But I’ve heard that you are marrying Mary of Burgundy,” Anne pointed out carefully.

“That’s not going to happen,” he assured her and removed his ring and placed it on her hand. “I’m marrying you. You will be my duchess.”

“But what about George?” Anne asked. “Isabel has never been strong. She is expecting…George is preparing himself if Isabel were to die—“

“He will not have you,” he promised her. “You are mine.”

Anne remained hesitant. “My father once told me that I was to be queen…”

“I am the King’s brother,” Richard told her in a whisper. “My brother the King only has one son and he’s small. George has no son...you’ll never know.”

Hearing that, Anne became less hesitant. Slowly, her hand intertwined with his.


	2. Duchess To Be

Lady Anne Neville was no longer a fallen Lancastrian widow, at least in her mind she isn’t. Twisting the emerald ring on her left hand, her lips curved into a smile.

A smile of victory.

A small victory, but still it was something.

When her father was alive, he once told her the tale of Lady Elizabeth Woodville Grey bewitching the York King Edward IV. It was said that she waited for the King by the oak tree and bewitched him with her beauty. The King vowed that he must have her, but Lady Grey refused his advances unless he marries her. The King, against all the odds, married her and they now ruled England with four children—three daughters and a son. Lady Anne Neville herself was a quick learner. She had watched and seen countless women rising up and down, closer and further from the power. The secret behind their rise and fall was their choice of husband.

And their husbands’ timely death or madness.

As a widow, she had the right to choose her next husband. Isabel was expecting; and if she were to die, George would take her as his second wife.

Her Grace the Lady Duchess of Clarence.

By line, she would’ve been closer to the throne than being the Lady Duchess of Gloucester.

Yet, with George’s level of intelligence and behavior, it was too risky to be his Duchess.

Richard was a far better choice.

And thus she merely took the script penned by the Woodville Queen, revised it, and used it.

It worked.

Richard made love to her and was surely besotted by her. Anne was no fool; she understood clearly that Richard saw her more as his pawn for power. The Beauchamp estate would make him a wealthy man; marrying the Kingmaker’s daughter would win him alliance with the North; the only drawback was her fertility given her mother Lady Anne Beauchamp and sister Isabel failed to provide a large nursery for their husbands respectively. Still, she was also the grandniece of Duchess Cecily of York, Richard’s own mother, who gave birth to seven sons.

Soon, she told herself, she would be safely out of Clarence’s household.

***

Unfortunately, she underestimated George.

As drunk as he may be, he was not stupid. A well-paid spy had informed him that his brother the Duke of Gloucester had entered Lady Anne’s chamber and stayed in there for hours. Her ladies, under his threats and pressure, confessed that Lady Anne had a bathtub moved into her chamber prior to the Duke’s arrival. Knowing his own brother’s taste, he immediately understood. Instantly, he ordered to put Lady Anne on watch.

She would never escape from his palm.

She was the key to keep the entire Beauchamp estate in his hands.

He would not allow Richard to take her away.

Needless to say, Anne’s life could not be more miserable.

Knowing that arguing with George would make no avail, Anne paced back and forth in her chamber. What could she do to get out of this cage? Her lady entered her chamber, interrupting her thoughts. Anne ignored her at first, but then saw her outfit.

Servants…they had more freedom that she did.

***

At night, when everyone was asleep, Anne made a bold move.

She quietly slipped out of her chamber in a plain gown and then sneaked into the kitchen. Snatched a filthy dress of a kitchen maid, she dressed herself as a lowly servant. Swallowing her disgust, she covered her face with cinder. No one would’ve recognized her as Lady Anne. She would stay here as Nan.

It was easier said than done.

Anne had never worked in her entire life. She watched and tried to imitate other servants’ movements and acts. At night, she slept on the hard wooden floor, which brought pain to her hips and back. She wondered if she’d see Richard again.

She assured herself that she would since George and Richard would definitely go mad after seeing her gone. From her bodice, she fished out a note she scribed before hiding in the kitchen.

_Come save me. I’m locked in the kitchen by George. Anne_

Now she needed to find the perfect opportunity to deliver it to Richard.

And she remembered to take a gold coin with her as well.

And around her neck was that locket—that gift from Marguerite of Anjou.

***

She spent her day as usual in the kitchen. She learned a few chores, such as killing chickens. Every time she did it, she pretended the chicken is George, Lancaster or at times, the King. In her heart she wondered if Richard had received the note. She had paid the squire with that gold coin and now she had nothing else to bribe the servants. She must have faith, she told herself.

“Hey girl, bring the soup here!” Another servant shouted at her.

Before she could response, a group of armed men barged into the kitchen. Anne was alarmed at first, but relieved as soon as she saw the badge on their uniforms.

Boar…

So he found her.

He’s here.

With an air of arrogance, he stepped into the kitchen and evenly asked, “Where is Lady Anne?”

Anne looked down with her hands together in a prayer. She heard his soft footsteps coming closer and closer to her. He stopped and held out his hand before her. Slowly, she raised her head and looked at him. Tears filled her eyes, which she did not know if it was an act or genuine. Without a word, she placed her hand in his. The two walked away from the kitchen.

And then from the Clarence household.

The King would hear how George mistreated her. Then he would give them his blessing.

***

Richard had her settled in a sanctuary. There, she asked for a warm bath with rose water. She spent hours washing herself. After all, being a kitchen maid made her quite filthy. She knew how much Richard like clean girls. And so she washed herself thoroughly. After bathing, in a white light shift, she went to her chamber arranged for her.

The door opened and she looked back.

It was Richard.

“You minx,” he said huskily.

“Don’t,” Anne said while stepping back. “We are not married yet.”

“But you do want me,” he said, while pushing her down onto the bed.

“I want you as a husband and I don’t want my child be a bastard,” Anne insisted. “Has the King given us his blessing?”

“I will tell you when I’m satisfied,” he whispered into her hear while rubbing her nipple through her shift. “Tell me, how did you come up with the idea of disguising yourself as a kitchen maid?”

“You will know after we’re married,” Anne replied. “By marrying me, you make yourself a wealthy man.”

“As marrying me will make you a royal duchess,” he said while slipping her strap of her shift off her shoulders.

“Are we going to stay in London?” She asked as she unbuttoned his doublet.

“Yes, but not for long,” he muttered, peeling her shift off her. She raised her hips to assist him and made room for him in bed. Pulling his shirt over his head, she stroked his muscular arms.

“You have strong arms,” she commented as she kissed his scars. “When I first saw you training at Middleham, I noticed your arms.”

He tilted her chin to kiss her on the lips. Anne wrapped her arms around his neck and caressed his shoulders with her lips. Touching skin to skin, she moaned as his arms wrapped around her waist.

“You’re overdressed,” she whispered, referring to his breeches.

“Shhh,” he rebuked gently and leaned down to suckle her breasts. She curved her back and moaned in pleasure as his tongue caressed her nipples. She placed her arms over her head when he went down to kiss her belly and then went lower and lower…

Pulling her legs apart, he licked her thighs. Drowning in pleasure, Anne cried out his name.

Finally, he unlaced his breeches and entered her.

His arms…

His touch…

His warmth…

His kiss…

His caress…

They joined hands with their fingers intertwined.

His rings clashed into hers.

It was a long passionate night of lovemaking that Anne wished it never ends.

***

Lying next to him, Anne asked gently while playing with his dark curls, “Richard, tell me, when’s the wedding date?”

“Soon,” Richard replied. “Ned has approved our marriage. After our wedding, we will go to North.”

“As Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.”

“And as Lord and Lady of North,” he added. “You remember Middleham Castle—that will be our home.”

Anne could not believe what she had heard.

“We’re going home?”

“Yes,” he told her as he brushed away her hair to reveal her naked breasts. He moved his hand down to her belly. “And you will bear my son.”

“Son _s_ ,” she said with a smile. “When I was in Burgundy, I overheard the ladies…saying that there’s a trick to conceive.”

“What is it?” Richard asked, curious.

“Here,” she took his hand and pressed it against her breasts. “They say that when the husband touches the wife here while lovemaking, it releases the wife’s maternal instinct and a child is to be conceived.”

Richard laughed and lowered his head to her breasts.

***

The reminder of the night, Anne stared at the ceiling while Richard was asleep in her arms. His head rested against her heart. “Mine,” he groaned before he fell asleep. Playing with his dark curls, she looked at her left hand and the ring it bore. She wondered if she had conceived tonight. If the child is a boy...

A chill came across her heart.

Moving her hand from his hair to his shoulders, Anne asked herself if she could to do it.

That locket—the gift from Marguerite of Anjou—was in her coffer.

Unlike Lancaster, Richard did not abuse her.

More than that, she was growing attached to him.

No, she could not see herself dressed as a widow mourning for his death.

She wanted him with her.

One day, they would rule England and their son after them.

She would not want to lose him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this chapter. 
> 
> Aneurin Barnard's arms...I'm not going to say anything more!
> 
> BTW, at the last chapter of this fic, there will be a surprise. You may or may not like it.
> 
> Comments please!


	3. Duchess of Gloucester

Anne was now victorious. In a small ceremony, with the presence of King Edward IV and his Woodville Queen, Anne exchanged vows with Richard before a priest. She was now officially the Duchess of Gloucester. Her past with Lancastrians were forgotten, or tend to be. She was merely a pawn of her ambitious father’s and a victim to Edward of Lancaster’s abuse. George and Isabel did not attend the wedding, to Anne’s relief. She wanted nothing to do with them and simply move on with her life.

What she did to George was certainly not honest and morality was in shades of grey at best.

And yet, if the roles were reversed, George would probably do the same thing.

Only he may not be as smart and conniving as she was.

By the end of the ceremony, in a voice loud and clear, King Edward gave Richard and Anne his blessing. His icy queen said nothing, but her eyes were on Anne’s belly.

Anne pretended not to notice the Queen’s cold stares.

 _We’re the same,_ she thought. _Rose turning red or white, for the sake of survival. The art of real survival was handed down from your own mother._

***

In their bed chamber, Anne was changed into a silky white nightgown. She quickly dismissed the ladies and waited for Richard, now truly her husband. Her hands were on her belly. Could a child already be conceived? Probably not, since she did not have any sickness.

The door was opened.

Richard walked in and then bolted the door.

“Husband,” Anne dipped into a curtsey.

“Come,” he gestured Anne to come to him as he undressed himself.

Standing before her only in his shirt, he stripped her nightgown off. He cupped her breast and rubbed her nipples. Anne let out a moan of pleasure. She stroked his cheek and then wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed him fully on the lips, jumped up, and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Richard was taken aback at first. Never had a woman come up to him like thus; not even Katherine, his mistress and mother of his two bastard children.

She continued to kiss him, pulling his shirt off, as he carried her to bed.

Throwing her down on her back, he climbed over her and took her like a hungry beast.

His thrust was powerful and passionate.

Anne tried to bite her lips, but nothing could prevent her groans.

He thrust into her harder and harder. Before she could touch him, he held her arms down over her head. He continued to thrust into her as he lowered his head to suck her breasts.

Anne was completely consumed by the passion.

However, Marguerite of Anjou’s cold voice came to her mind.

_Men…all of them are monsters…_

She remembered their lovemaking prior to their wedding. Richard was gentler then. And yet, tonight, he was like a beast.

Because of alcohol? The King did have more than a few goblets of wines with him.

Or was it his true colors?

Panting, he pulled out of her and flipped her over. “Come here,” he ordered. Having her on her hands and knees, he entered her from the behind. When they reached climax, he pulled her up and cupped her breasts. Anne cried out his name, for which she didn’t know if it was out of passion or if she were asking him to stop.

The lovemaking was a bit too much for her tonight.

Catching up her breath, she could feel his hands moved from her breasts to her belly. His teeth sank into the flesh.

“Wife…”

Suddenly, she remembered that night – her wedding night with Edward of Lancaster. He, too, called her that after his painful penetrations.

No, she did not like being a prey to the beast.

Nor she liked being controlled.

Grabbing his hands, she pulled them away and pushed him down on his back. Richard was surprised by her action, but then amused. She climbed over him; sat on his crotch; and began to ride him.

Now she was setting the pace of lovemaking.

He was completely besotted by her body. His hands stroked her sides as she threw her head back. He rose up and nuzzled her breasts. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face into his curls.

In this position, she was on top, and he was in her embrace. In addition, she was one head above him.

***

“You’re amazing,” he muttered as they lied down side by side. Before Anne could pull the sheets up, Richard threw them aside for he loved to see her naked body. His finger drew circles around her areola. “Your nipples have lighter colors. When I made love to Kate, hers turn darker.”

Kate…

Hearing that name inflamed her jealousy.

Smacking his hand away, she sat up. “Kate…who is she?”

“Mother to my children,” Richard replied as if it was nothing.

“Are you still seeing her?”

“Before we’re married, yes.” He looked at her and then said, “You are my wife, Anne.”

“But I want to be more than just your wife,” Anne said. “I want to be your wife, your duchess, your mistress, and your lover.”

Richard laughed. “You are certainly my wife and duchess.”

“Can I be your mistress and lover as well?” Anne asked. “Are you unsatisfying with me?”

“No,” he replied. She lied down in his arms and buried her face in his neck as he stroked her bare back. “You are my one and only.”

“You are like a beast tonight,” she pointed out. “You weren’t like that before.”

“I guess I’m more than excited to finally have you as my wife,” Richard murmured; his eyelids became heavier and heavier. “I like it when you’re on top. I can see you…all of you…” And he drifted into sleep.

Anne laid her head on his chest and listened to the sound of his breathing. She enjoyed his chest moving up and down and his warm hand on her back.

But she couldn’t sleep at all.

***

Before dawn, Anne crept out of the bed. She went to her coffer and found the locket from Marguerite of Anjou. She placed it around her neck and the locket—which contained poison—hung between her breasts. She looked at the hearth and debated if she should throw it into the fire.

Why would she even need it?

She had to admit to herself that Richard was more than a husband to her.

Even though he had his moments that disturbed her.

He was her partner, her lord duke, and her lover.

He would be the father to her children—soon. Thinking of children, a flash of jealousy came across her heart. Katherine…who laid in Richard’s arms and gave birth to two children. She, Lady Anne Neville, now Duchess of Gloucester, would give Richard a dozen children. All of them healthy and well-educated; after growing up, she and Richard would arrange splendid marriages for them—

“Anne!”

Startled, she turned around and found Richard standing before her.

“What are you doing? Come back to bed before you catch a cold,” he said with a scolding tone. Taking her hand, he led her back to bed and tucked her in. “What’s this?” He asked, touching her locket.

“Nothing,” Anne dismissed it quickly. “My mother gave me that before….”

She said nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter.
> 
> Comments please!


	4. Mother, Part I

Anne proudly walked around in her father’s old study while reviewing the account book. Actually, it wasn’t her father’s study anymore; it was her husband’s.

She and Richard had returned to Middleham soon after their wedding. To Anne, it was too good to be true.

She was now a royal duchess and the Lady of her castle.

She looked down, stroking her big belly. She was about eight months pregnant.

Richard had been a good husband to her, or at least if compared to Edward of Lancaster. Unlike his philandering brother King Edward IV, Richard was a faithful one. He was still visiting Kate to see his children. However, he ended his carnal relationship with his former mistress. To Anne’s relief, Kate was now married to a knight.

Richard was her and hers alone.

There was one drawback, though.

She had underestimated Richard’s aggressive sexual appetite.

When Richard was staying at the Middleham Castle, they spent every night making love, to which Anne was not unhappy about. However, because of his duties, Richard was constantly absent. During these nights, Anne slept alone. After he came home, he would take her to their chamber; strip off their clothes; and make love to her like a hungry wolf. In the days when he just returned from road, the lovemaking caused her much exhaustion and sometimes pain. The lovemaking didn’t only occur in their bedchamber. Once, he called Anne to his study, bolting the door, and made love to her by pressing her against the wall and entered her from the behind—taking her by surprise, completely.

Having a faithful husband certainly had a price.

There was time when Anne wished that he had a mistress.

After finding out she was with child, Richard continued to make love to her in her early stages of pregnancy; and he was gentler and more careful. By the time she was sixth months, he was on the road again.

Based on the shape of her belly and the way she walked, the midwives were confident that she was carrying a boy. Anne was more than happy and proud to hear that.

A male heir first borne…

The Woodville Queen had five daughters with the King before she finally gave birth to a son; her sister Isabel gave birth to a dead girl on the ship and recently gave birth to a girl named Margaret; her own mother Lady Anne Beauchamp only had two girls; even the formidable Duchess Cecily of York had a daughter Anne, now Duchess of Exeter, as her first borne.

Thus, Anne was accomplishing something her female relatives failed.

“How’s our boy?” A voice asked behind her. Anne swiftly turned, and found Richard standing before her in his cloak. She gave him a confident smile and replied, “He’s well, getting stronger every day.” She went to him and pressed his hand against her belly. “There, can you feel it? He’s kicking me. He’s strong, like his father.”

Richard gave her a kiss. Taking her hand, he led her to the Great Hall.

“When’s your confinement?” He asked.

“Soon,” Anne told him; she was very looking forward to it. “I wonder, what shall we name him?”

He did not respond to that. Instead, his eyes were elsewhere.

“Richard, what shall we name him?” Anne asked again, noticing his diverting attention. Soon, she saw people in the Great Hall seemed to be preparing for the arrival of a certain individual, apparently someone important. “Do we have a guest?”

Richard said nothing. He looked at the squires and the servants and gave them orders.

Then Anne heard footsteps.

Before her, a middle-aged lady walked in with her head held high. Pushing back her dark green hood, Anne gasped.

It was her mother, Lady Anne Beauchamp, Countess of Warwick.

“They told me that you are having a child,” she said to Anne coldly. “That was quick.”

Anne held onto Richard’s hand tightly. Biting her lips, she managed to hold her emotions together. Then, however, she lashed out at her mother with her finger pointing. “This woman must be thrown out! Get her out of my sight!”

She angrily pulled away from Richard and stormed away.

***

At the dinner table, Anne and Richard ate in silent.

“I hate her,” Anne murmured spitefully, breaking the silence. “She married me to a monster. All she cared is if I can give Lancastrian a son so that she could be the grandmother of the future King. She left me in the battlefield and sought sanctuary herself. I will never forgive her.”

Richard said nothing, as if he did not hear her at all.

“Throw her out!” Anne demanded. “I do not want her under my roof!”

“And where can she go?” Richard finally spoke.

“Heaven or hell, I don’t care!”

“You don’t have to see her,” he said quietly. “She’s our prisoner now. You can pretend that she’s dead.”

Anne threw down her napkin and went back to her chamber.

Lying in bed, she hoped that by tomorrow, her mother would be taken away. Tower would be the best place for her, she thought.

***

To her disappointment and shock, her mother was still at the Middleham Castle the next day. She had settled in a decent quarter with luxury.

What is happening? Richard used to give in to her demands!

Lifting up her shift, she looked down at her bare belly, and then looked at her reflection in the mirror.

She was fat now.

She was no longer that slender woman in the white shift who can besot him.

Perhaps she had to wait until she gave birth. And then, she would go to him, in her white shift, with their son in her arms. “Look at him,” she would say with tears in her eyes. “Would you abandon him in the battlefield?” Yes, these words would touch him.

“My Lady,” her maids came, interrupting her thoughts. “Your lady mother likes to see you.”

A harsh light flashed in her eyes. Realizing that she had some unfinished businesses with her mother, Anne decided to go speak to her. She had her ladies dressed her in the finest gown of a light color that would make her belly more visible. On her neck, wrists, and ears, she donned the finest jewels. She chose a very tall hat, the one her mother used to wear as lady of the castle.

***

“You asked to see me,” Anne asked haughtily, with one hand holding her back and the other on her belly.

“You are still my daughter,” Lady Beauchamp said defiantly. “You are not above me.”

“Truly?” Anne sauntered towards her and reminded her, “I am Her Grace the Duchess of Gloucester, and the Lady of the North. The child in my belly is a nephew of the King and heir to the dukedom of Gloucester. And you, you are nobody but a widow of a traitor.”

Lady Beauchamp only laughed silently. “Or so you think. The child in your belly, is it a boy or a girl? When I was pregnant with your sister Isabel, the midwives swore that she’s a boy. A tough disappointment. As for Duchess of Gloucester, maybe I should remind you that the men who bore this dukedom in the past did not bear great fortune. Your child may be the King’s nephew, and one day he will be the King’s cousin, but he will never be King of England.”

“Maybe,” Anne refused to back down. “If this child is a girl, the next one will be a boy. Unlike you, I chose my own husband, and I chose Richard. As for the fortune, the Wheel of Fortune spins. Who will go up high or fall down low…no one knows. But one thing for sure, I am no longer timid daughter whom you can use as a pawn for your own glory. I am no one’s pawn! I will fight for my own destiny!”

“You think you have found a better man?” The Countess smirked. “Lancaster is a lamb in comparison.”

“Lancaster is nothing compared to him!”

“Tell me, did your beloved husband tell you that he had me declared _dead_ even though I am here alive?”

“Dead?” Anne’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Ha! I know you’d react as thus,” the Countess smiled triumphantly. “He has not been kind to me, your husband. From the outside, he’s a generous prince who took in his destitute mother-in-law. And look at the timing, his pregnant wife needs her mother and she couldn’t have arrived in a better time. A good man who married a girl who could’ve been his betrothed—he has give her everything she lost. But do you know, that this castle, the jewels you don, the dress you wear, and all the fortune in your name—are to be his even if you were to divorce?”

“What?” Anne grabbed her mother by the arm. “What are you saying?”

“Your fortunes are yours and his,” the Countess repeated herself spitefully. “But in case if he were to divorce you, you’d be a penniless daughter of a traitor again. He would take all the money and marry a rich foreign princess. Who knows? For the sake of fortune and alliance, he may even marry a Woodville!”

Anne hatefully glared at her mother.

“You think Richard is a better choice?” the Countess snarled. “All men are the same. Only their venoms are hidden in different places.”

Anne turned to leave. She did not want to hear anymore from her mother.

“You better pray your child is a boy,” the Countess added. “If a wife bears no son, she’s safer if her husband is only a noble. But if her husband is a royal duke, God forbids…”

Anne walked out of her quarter as fast as she could.

“Lock her up!” She ordered the servant.

***

“Richard!” She stormed into his study, completely disregarded the presence of his friends and other nobles. They were surprised to see her and bowed. Anne ignored them and went straight to his desk. She was so upset and angry that she didn’t even know what to say to him.

“Gentlemen,” Richard said quietly, not showing any emotion. “I like to have a few words with my wife.”

The men nodded and quickly left the room.

Anne and Richard were left alone.

After the door closed shut, Richard’s facial expression turned dark.

Before he could begin, Anne lashed out at him in anger. “How…how could you do this to me? Is it true? That if you were to divorce me now, all of these,” she said while pointing at the items in the chamber. “All of these will remain as yours. You will remain as the Lord of North and the richest man in England. And I? I will be a pauper on the street?”

Richard gave her nothing but silence.

Anne was in total disbelief. She had hoped that her mother only made it up to anger her.

“You…you bastard!” Anne grabbed his documents and hurled them at him. Before she could smack him, Richard grabbed her wrists and got a hold of her. “Tell me why!”

“Why’d you think?” Richard asked her evenly.

“You used me!” Anne spat tearfully. “You pretend to fall in love with me—“

“What does love has to do with our marriage?” Richard questioned back. “And you…I thought you’d know that better than anyone else. You paid the ladies in London to learn about my taste. You calculated well, and got my attention at the right time. You set George up, and made him look like a greedy, abusive man who mistreated his poor sister-in-law. I have to say, I never thought I could find a woman more scheming and calculating than I.”

“I am nothing like you!”

“You want to be Queen, don’t you?” Richard demanded in a much lowered voice. “The Woodville Queen and the Anjou woman, where do you think they failed? They showed their ambitions too well. They think that how a queen should be. But that’s where they lost point. You want to be queen? Then act like one. Have you seen my Lady Mother? Has she ever lost her dignity before others? Has she ever showed her emotion in public? And most importantly, she never, ever, had raised her voice at my father!” He released her and continued, “You remember your role. I would not want a queen too shrewish. Your mother had informed you well. Don’t make me put you aside, or you have nothing to live for.”

Anne looked at Richard as if he were a stranger.

“Go rest,” he told her. “You are carrying my heir. I certainly do not want him harmed by your distraught emotions.”

Despite her anger, Richard certainly had the upper hand.

Anne silently retreated from his study and went to her quarters.

Before she reached to her chamber, she felt a sharp pain.

It was so strong that she bent over and cried out.

Her ladies ran to her. Seeing her condition, they shouted, “Go, get the midwife!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now you've seen the true colors of Richard. Honestly, no man who can survive in wars and political arena thus long and be as stupid and incompetent as our dear Richard III portrayed in latter episodes of TWQ. 
> 
> And I'm disappointed that TWQ didn't show Anne during her pregnancy or birth. All we saw was Elizabeth Woodville having babies in almost every single episode. 
> 
> Comments please!


	5. Mother, Part II

“What…what is happening?” Anne stuttered fearfully. Her skirt was darkened and wet. “My boy…my boy!”

For a moment she thought that she had lost the baby.

“Your Grace, please relax,” the midwives arrived to her side, escorting her to the birth chamber. “Your child is coming early. It’s not uncommon.”

“No! I’m not ready!” Anne shook her head. “I’m afraid!”

Although she had been excitedly waited for motherhood, now the moment came, Anne was rather frightened.

“Shall I call for your Lady Mother the Countess?” A maid asked.

“No!” Anne objected fiercely. “I don’t want her near me! I don’t want her around!”

***

The birth was long, arduous, and painful. Anne was covered in sweat, crying out in pain; she felt as if her lower body was tearing apart. She could not believe women like Jacquetta of Rivers and Duchess Cecily of York had endured childbirth more than ten times. Margaret of Anjou had taught her how to “enhance” her husband’s death after having a son. Now she wondered if childbirth would kill her first.

The blood on the midwives hands and aprons made her more terrified than ever.

“What…what is it?” Anne asked in a whisper. “My son…is he…”

No one answered her.

“Am I to die?” She asked tearfully.

Was this a punishment from God?

She had been vain, scheming, dishonest, unkind, and conspiring murder. She wanted to be Queen; she lied and set up George; she had said cruel things to her mother; she had accepted poison from Margaret of Anjou to murder Richard somewhere down the road for power.

All of these were sins.

Then she noticed the worrisome faces of the midwives. “The baby is stuck!”

Anne’s eyes widened. Something was happening to her baby.

_If her son were born dead…_

Her mother’s cold, truthful words rang in her ears.

_If a wife bears no son, she’s safer if her husband is only a noble. But if her husband is a royal duke, God forbids…_

Richard was certainly not a saint. He had her fortune and fate held tightly in this palm.

Anne remembered clearly how George neglected Isabel after she gave birth to a dead child.

If her son were born dead, Richard would never forgive her. After all, it was her tantrums that caused the child to come early.

He would put her aside.

And she would be back to where she began—a penniless daughter of a dead traitor. Now, even worse, she would have no one to turn to.

No, she could not lose Richard; not now.

“Get…get me a pen…and a parchment…” She ordered the midwives and the maid between her breaths.

“My lady!” The women looked at her bewildered.

“I…I need to…write a letter…to the Duke…” Anne muttered and then let out another scream. “Now! I may die and this may be the last…”

The maid was hesitant at first, but after Anne cried out again, she immediately ran to fetch the pen and parchment.

***

“Your Grace,” a servant approached Richard carefully. “The Countess is requesting for new tapestries for her chambers. She said that the old ones sadden her with bitter memories of the past.”

“And she shall have them,” Richard replied simply.

“You are very kind,” the Countess said to him, appeared unannounced.

Sensing the intensity between the two, the servants bowed and retreated.

“Why aren’t you with the Duchess?” Richard asked the Countess coldly. “You are her mother.”

“She doesn’t want me around,” the Countess laughed bitterly. “What are your plans with me?”

Richard looked away.

Both of them knew the answer very well.

Richard’s “kindness” to the Countess was merely a strategy to gain support from the North; to hold on to the Neville fortune; and to intimidate Anne. Unlike her sister Isabel, Anne was truly her father’s daughter—ambitious, clever, scheming, and vain. Her calculating schemes fascinated Richard, but at the same time, made frightened him a bit. By having the Countess in the castle, it was also to remind Anne of her unpleasant past and what he could do to her if she pushed him too hard. The Countess, of course, wasn’t stupid. Knowing that she could not change her current circumstance, she used this as opportunity to gain whatever she could—a new dress, more servants, or a more luxurious quarter.

It was a mind game for both.

“I still don’t understand how my own daughter can hate me this much,” the Countess said almost in a whisper.

“You had abandoned her in the battlefield,” Richard said simply. “She was only fifteen.”

“I did what I had to do!” The Countess spat. “Don’t speak to me like you are any better! When time comes, you’d abandon her for your own sake as well!”

Before Richard could say anything, a maid came in. “Your Grace,” she curtsied and presented him a letter. “It’s from my Lady the Duchess.”

The letter was stained with blood. And the handwriting was weak and messy.

_To My Lord Husband,_

_It’s God’s will that our child has come early. Please do not punish the midwives for sacrificing me to save our child! I am more than willing to die to give you a legitimate heir. I only beseech you to be kind to our motherless poor child. I beg for your forgiveness for offending you or failing to please you in the past. You are my husband, my love, and my heart._

_Love you forever,_

_Anne_

“The midwives said that she may not survive from the birth,” the maid said carefully after he finished reading the letter. She was repeating what Anne had taught her to say, word to word.

“If Anne dies, would I get back least a portion of the fortune?” The Countess asked.

Richard gave her a look of disgust.

***

The pain became stronger and stronger. Anne pushed and screamed.

“One more push!” The midwives instructed. “The baby should here soon.”

“Am I cursed?” She cried to herself. The childbirth had lasted for more than a day.

The door of birth chamber burst open.

Richard ran in, despite the protest from the women.

He leaped to Anne’s side and took her hand. She squeezed his hand and pushed again. His touch and presence gave her new strength.

No, it wasn’t because of his touch and presence.

By his facial expression, Anne knew that he cared.

He would not want to lose her.

After three more pushes, a cry was heard.

“It’s a boy!” The midwives declared as they cut the umbilical cord.

A boy…she did it. She had a son!

Before she could say anything, her vision blurred and everything became black.

***

When she came to, Anne found herself washed clean in her white shift. She was in her bed chamber.

She felt something heavy lying on her hand. She blinked and saw Richard cradling her hand by her bedside.

Hearing her moan, he raised his head and reached out his hand to touch her face. “Anne…”

“Our…our boy…” Anne muttered as she struggled to find her voice. “Is he…is he…”

Richard immediately gave the maids a nod. They went to fetch the nurse. A short moment later, the nurse came with a bundle in her arms. The sight of her child brought tears to her eyes. With Richard’s assistance, she sat up as the nurse carefully placed the baby in her arms.

“His name is Edward,” Richard told her as he supported her from the behind and kissed her on the nape.

“He…he’s so small,” Anne quietly remarked.

“He will grow,” Richard assured her.

The baby started crying. Guided by her maternal instincts, Anne unlaced her nightgown and brought the child to her breast. The nurse was about to object before Richard gave her a dark look. He held Anne from behind as she nursed their son. After the baby was fed, the nurse took him away to burp him. It pained Anne when the child was taken from her.

She lied back down as Richard pulled up the cover.

“He’s so precious to me,” Anne said with tears in her eyes. “I’m afraid…of anything that can harm him.” She paused and then wondered out loud. “I don’t understand my mother. She sacrificed Isabel’s and my happiness and safety for her own gain. When the midwife told me that something was happening to the baby, I was so scared.”

“As I was scared of losing you,” Richard replied.

“Truly,” Anne muttered as she buried her face in the pillow. “If I were to die, you have nothing to lose. If I were to die, the Neville fortune would be yours for sure. If I were to die, you can marry again and another woman could take my place.”

“No one can take your place,” Richard told her. “If I were to lose you, I will never remarry.”

Hearing that, Anne was touched and relieved.

“Mistresses will be enough,” he continued, to Anne’s disappointment.

“Your children with that woman…they should be brought here,” Anne said, changing the subject. “They are your children, and they deserve to be brought up as children of a royal duke.”

Richard was surprised to hear that. “Are you certain?”

“Yes,” Anne replied.

“Thank you Anne,” Richard said. “You are generous.”

“Can you stay with me tonight?” Anne whispered. “I’ve spent too many nights without you by my side.”

She stayed in bed as Richard undressed himself. He climbed into the bed and peeled her nightgown down to her waist. He wasn’t going to make love to her that night, but he did missed holding her body in his arms.

As he fell asleep, Anne opened her eyes and thought about her decisions.

No, she was not being generous when she offered to take in Richard’s bastard children.

It was her way to show him that she could be a perfect wife and consort; she was doing something Elizabeth Woodville would never do. In addition, it was a good deed. So that next time she gives birth, God may be more merciful on her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please!
> 
> Richard of Gloucester and Lady Anne Neville's conversation at the end of the chapter is based on the conversation between George II of Great Britain and Queen Caroline. The dying Queen Caroline famously asked George II to remarry. King George, who was never faithful but very devoted to and in love with his Queen, refused. It could've been a touching scene, but then the King ruined it all by adding, "I will have mistresses."
> 
> After the Queen's death, George II locked himself in for grief - but only for a few days. He comes out and then moved on with his life.


	6. The Last Neville

Richard was coming home from the battlefield. Anne knelt quietly in the chapel with prayers. She was praying for the soul of her infant daughter who died before she could be christened. She counted the beads of her rosary. After giving birth to Ned, there was on miscarriage and one child died from birth. Was God punishing her?

True, she had been sinful with her vanity, green, and ambition.

But she wasn’t the only one.

Look at the Woodville Queen, she was just as haughty and power-hungry. Yet, she was having one royal baby after another. Yes, most of them were girls; but she did provide her husband the King a large nursery.

Anne, on the other hand, was only blessed with one.

How could God be this unfair?

Anne had done everything she could to earn God’s blessing and pity. She had been kind to her stepchildren; she had turned a blind eye on Richard’s probable philandering when she was pregnant, since Duchess Cecily of York had told him to control his lust and avoid Anne’s bed when she was with child; and as Lady of the North, she had provided food and charities for the poor and orphans. What more would God want from her?

Perhaps God had been kind that Richard was coming home safe.

***

She welcomed him home in the court yard in black since she was mourning for the death of her small daughter. He dismounted his horse and grabbed her hand with a tight grip. Anne knew what it meant. Without a word, she followed him into the castle.

She stood aside as his squires removed his armors.

Finally, he was in his breeches and white shirt.

The squires retreated and Anne went to bolt the door.

Before she could turn to face him, she could feel him pushing her against the door. Using his brutal strength, he torn her dress apart along with her shift, leaving her stark naked before him. He cupped her breasts and bit into her neck. Unlacing his breeches, he entered her from behind. Before Anne could cry out, he used his hand to cover her lips and inserted his finger between her teeth.

Anne was completely lost.

By the time she came to, she was lying in bed on top of the covers. Richard was by her side, shirtless with only his breeches on, caressing her body.

She tried to push herself up by the elbows, but Richard pushed her back down.

“Our daughter,” Richard began. “Was she named?”

“No,” Anne replied in a whisper. “She died before she could be named. I would’ve named her Cecily, after your mother.” Anne didn’t want to talk about her daughter; she changed the subject. “The war, it…”

“What do you think have happened?” Richard asked in a strange tone.

“Not well?”

“There wasn’t even a war!” Richard told her angrily. “Ned bargained with Louis! Everything went to a waste! Instead of a glorious war, he spent the entire time drinking and whoring.”

Anne said nothing, wrapping the sheet around her naked body.

“George was obviously disappointed,” Richard continued. “He believes Ned had lost his mind. Furthermore, he blames the Queen for it.”

“Isabel is with child again,” Anne muttered. “That should make George—“

“You think that he cares?” Richard questioned.

Anne turned away from him. Her hands went to her belly.

She didn’t want to think of George, or Isabel, or the war.

She only wanted to conceive again.

***

Isabel was pregnant with her fourth child; and she was writing numerous letters to Anne, begging her to come see her.

Anne threw the letters into the fire and watched as it burned.

George was falling out of favor, and she didn’t want any rumor or whisper that link them to George.

The next morning, Anne found Richard stood silently before a huge coffer of gold.

“You should accept this and show the King that you are grateful,” Anne advised. “It’d show that you are loyal, a stark contrast to George.”

“Don’t tell me what to do!” He said coldly without looking at her and walked away.

Anne felt completely alone.

***

“You are not going to see Bella?” the Countess asked as Anne stared into the hearth, alone in her chamber. After the birth of her son Ned, Anne had given her mother more freedom. As time went by, she seemed to have forgiven her mother while the Countess began to accept her current condition.

“Maybe you should,” Anne replied. “You are her mother. _You_ are the one who married her to George.”

“But she asked for you,” the Countess reminded her. “She should be in confinement now.”

Anne looked away. “You are the one who should care for her the most. She is your daughter.”

“And you are her sister,” the Countess said. “I am only an old woman who is _dead_. I assume she hates me as much as you do.”

Anne was silent.

“What is happening?” the Countess asked. “You can tell me. I’m only a penniless old woman who relies on your husband for living.”

After a few hesitations, Anne spoke, “I don’t get him. Richard is so passionate and so caring, but he is distant too.”

“Men,” the Countess laughed. “They know how to keep their distance from women, especially ones with a cunning mind. But we are not talking about Richard; it’s Bella we are talking about.”

“Bella is married to George and mother to his children,” Anne murmured as she watched the fire dancing in the hearth. “Had I go to her, she would ask me to have Richard speak for George, or George would try something. George is falling out of favor; or rather he has never been in the King’s favor. In Bella’s letters, the Queen was more hostile than ever. I’m afraid…I remember, that it was father and George who beheaded her brother and father. The Queen would’ve wanted to see George and Isabel thrown into the Tower. I can’t go. If I were to go, then I will put Richard in danger, and my son Ned.”

No matter who she marries, she was always a Neville.

“But Isabel is married to George,” the Countess said. “If George falls, so will she, and her children.”

“So be it,” Anne bit her lips.

“You are cruel,” the Countess remarked. “You are indeed your father’s daughter.”

“I’m only trying to survive and protect my son!” Anne defended her decision. “I have lived thus long—not been killed by plague or childbirth! I have survived the war. I’ve been labeled a traitor and faced possibility of being wall-in for the rest of my life! I have gambled with my safety and wealth to escape from George and regain what I have lost. And I won. I’m not going to put myself in a dangerous situation of exile or life imprisonment again! All I want to say is that I am proud of choice in my second marriage. As for Bella, you should’ve thought of her fate when you and father married her to George!”

“Marrying Richard would make you a Queen-in-waiting?”

“Yes,” Anne admitted softly. Richard may not be a saint, but he was certainly not a fool.

He would act when the time is right.

As for her, she would play the role of his perfect consort.

***

And Isabel died from childbirth. Her newborn son was named Richard, perhaps a last gesture of plea for the Gloucesters to speak for George and save him from potential downfall. The baby son died soon after birth. Maybe it was a bad omen.

Anne was reading her sister’s last letter to her as she stroked her swollen belly. She was with child again.

In the letter, Isabel expressed her worry and concern for George and particularly for her children. She begged Anne to take her children in if she were to die from childbirth. She was only a mother seeking help from another.

She also implored Anne to convince Richard to speak for George.

As with her previous letters, Anne tossed it into the fire.

Richard would do nothing for George. He could not risk his life for his troublemaking and mentally unstable brother who had betrayed the Nevilles.

The child was kicking her endlessly.

Why? Was she wrong?

Maybe a warm bath can help.

But in the end, nothing could make her feel peaceful.

She spent the night with Richard, snuggling against him. She managed to fell asleep, only to be waked by pain. Hearing her groans, Richard rose and lightened the lamp. The bed was wet and stained with blood. Pulling on his robe, he called for the servants and the midwives.

After hours of unbearable agony, Anne gave birth to a dead boy prematurely at seven months.

She pitifully looked at Richard, seeking for his forgiveness.

“You and I are still young, and there will be more children,” he assured her, wiping her forehead. He did not left her side; he stayed by her side with his hand intertwining with hers.

Even though Richard was by her side, Anne still felt alone. In her heart, she wished her sister was here.

Only that she could never be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please :)


	7. Queen in waiting

The King had become seriously ill.

A warrior king who was born lucky, Edward IV had won many battles in the field and in politics. He had obtained the crown, which was rightfully his. He married the Queen of his choice, with whom he had begot two sons and eight daughters. After all these years of battles and struggles, England finally had peace.

George, the troublesome son of York, was condemned to death for treason.

His titles were confiscated. One of them, Earl of Richmond, was returned to Henry Tudor, son of Lady Margaret Beaufort from the House of Lancaster. Maybe it was a friendly gesture to prevent them to rebel against the Yorks.

George and Isabel left behind two small children, Lady Margaret and Edward, Earl of Warwick. They were taken in by Anne, who requested for their custody. The children, although orphaned, were not paupers. Given that they were still grandchildren of the late Richard Duke of York, and with the intervention of Duchess Cecily, a good portion of Clarence’s fortune were in their name. Before they reach majority, the fortune would be in the hands of the Gloucesters.

Anne could not understand the King’s attitude and gesture towards Lady Margaret Beaufort, and how the Queen had trusted her. They even made her a godmother to their youngest daughter Bridget. From Anne’s perspective, both Lady Margaret Beaufort and her fourth husband Lord Thomas Stanley were dubious at best.

As the King was lay dying, Anne was about to give birth soon.

It’d be her fifth pregnancy.

***

“I…I’m afraid,” Anne stuttered as the pain began.

“Anne, you need to pull yourself together,” the Countess urged. After Isabel’s death, mother and daughter managed to fully reconcile. The Countess also proved to be a loving grandmother to her grandchildren. “You have done this before.”

“Richard needs another son,” Anne said with her voice shaking. “What if…what if this time…”

“Anne! The more you think this way the worse it can get,” the Countess rebuked. “This child is coming at the right time. Everything will be fine.”

“But what if it’s a girl?”

“Sons and daughters are useful in their own ways,” the Countess said. “You are still young. There will be more children. The Duchess of York had given birth twelve times, and Richard is her seventh son.”

Unlike her previous labors, this one wasn’t as long or as arduous.

Under instruction of the midwives and encouragement from her mother, Anne finally gave birth to a girl. When she was informed the gender of the child, Anne was disappointed; but she was happy to hear the child is healthy. If she could have one healthy child, then another healthy child will follow.

After she was settled in a clean bed, Richard came to see her.

“I’m so sorry,” Anne apologized, holding the newborn infant.

Richard approached her and sat on the bed. He took the little girl in his arms and said, “What do you need to be sorry about? She’s a beautiful girl.” Then he added, “Sometimes, I wonder if it’s safer to be a daughter than to be a son.”

Obviously, he was referring to George.

“Richard—“Before she could continue, there were heavy knocks on the door.

Richard handed his daughter back to Anne and went to answer it.

He came back a while later.

“What is it?” Anne asked as her daughter was suckling her breast.

“The King is dead.”

***

_Months later…_

Anne stood by the window and watched as her nephew and son played together in the garden. Both boys were named Edward; but one was the son of a fallen traitor and the other was the son of the Lord Protection. Similarly, however, neither one was safe.

She touched the vial on her neck.

She didn’t know why she hadn’t thrown it away.

The Woodville Queen…

The King was only forty and died thus young. The Woodville Queen already had two sons by the King. Maybe it was the time for her to make this move. After all, like mother like daughter. Her own mother Lady Jacquetta had done it with her first husband the Duke of Bedford. She was handing down this “art” to her daughter and dear friend. The King had not treated the Queen badly, but he was certainly a philandering man who spread his seed all over England. The Queen only obtained her crown through the King’s lust over her. Now she was 45; her beauty had long faded. Sooner or later, the King would fall in love with another woman, and she…

So the Woodville Queen must act.

With her son on the throne, she could rule England with the help from her vast family. There was her brother Anthony; and one of her sisters Katherine was married to Buckingham.

It was not safe to be Lord Protector, as evident in history.

Richard went to London alone; she was told to stay behind with their son. Their small daughter, sadly, only lived for two days. How Anne hated herself for viewing her as a disappointment. God was taking the child away to punish her for this thought, maybe. She wept and cried over the small coffer inconsolably until Richard came to her and took her back to her chamber. He was grieving too. He lost his brother, and now a daughter.

Both Richard and Anne had lost a father; siblings; and children.

What was to come was only uneasiness.

“Anne?” The Countess came to see her.

“Mother, I want you to stay and take care of the children,” Anne said. “Including Katherine and Johnny. They aren’t mine, but they are Richard’s.”

“Anne, what is happening?”

“I don’t know, but Richard needs me.”

“He told you to stay here,” the Countess reminded her. “Don’t act against his words.”

“He needs _me_ ,” Anne insisted. “He can’t handle this alone. Mother, things will not go smoothly. Come think of it…father’s name is Richard…and his father’s name is also Richard…it’s a sign, isn’t it?” She then told her mother about the nightmare she had last night. “I was sleeping, and suddenly I found myself in a battlefield. There was a man, in his armor, wearing a crown on his helmet. He was surrounded by the enemies…he had fallen off the horse. Then…the helmet fell off and rolled a few feet before me.”

“And then?” the Countess asked.

“I don’t remember,” Anne shook her head. “But I can’t stay here after this dream.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Whatever I can,” Anne muttered quietly.

***

When Anne came to London, it was in the middle of the night. To her surprise, Richard was residing at the Windsor Castle. The Woodville Queen and her children weren’t there.

She came to his study, and found his face was full of worry.

“Richard?” She muttered his name as she pulled back her hood.

“Anne?” He was surprised to see her.

She released her cloak and went to him. “I’m here Richard.”

He stood up and went to bolt the door.

“Undress,” he ordered and looking at her strangely.

His action would’ve scared her years ago, but not now. By his gesture and attitude, she could tell things had not gone easily for him in his new role.

“I said undress.” He did not raise his voice, but he certainly was running out of patience.

Anne reached behind her back and unlaced her dress. She pulled her dress off her, leaving herself only in her white shift. She let her hair down too.

She knew how Richard can be softened by the sight of her in that white shift.

“Come,” he ordered.

Anne went to him and bit her lips as he pushed her back against the wall. His teeth dug into her flesh as his hands cupped her breasts through her shift. Unlacing his breeches, he pulled her shift up and her legs apart as he thrust into her. Breathing heavily, Anne undressed him. Using her foot to pull down his breeches, she moaned as Richard kissed her neck. As he was pulling her shift apart to touch her breast, Anne stopped him.

“No!” She pushed him away before his lips could reach her nipple. “Not like this!”

“Then how?” He asked in between his breaths. “How? Tell me!”

“Let it go,” Anne whispered. “Shh…”

She knew that whenever Richard was that aggressive in lovemaking, he was frustrated and torn in-between decisions. However, sex could calm him down like magic. Like a virgin taming the unicorn, giving herself to him could calm him down.   

Anne sat herself down onto the ground, and gestured him to do the same. She had him lying down on his back and sat on his crotch. Slowly, she removed her shift completely and rode him naked. The lovemaking had become much gentler now.

It ended with a kiss and their body intertwined.

***

“What has happened?” Anne asked. “Tell me.”

The two lied on the ground and wrapped Anne’s cloak around them. Their clothing were scattered around.

“What do you want to know?”

“Where is the Queen? Where are her children? And the young King?”

“The Queen and her daughters are in sanctuary,” Richard said, laughing bitterly. “The princes are under my protection in the Tower.”

“Isn’t the Prince of Wales the King now?” Anne asked. “Why is the Queen in sanctuary? What is she doing?”

“She is angered that it is I who is named Lord Protector not her brother Anthony Rivers,” Richard told her. “Anthony Rivers tried to take the princes and use them against me. The Queen is merely throwing a charade to make me look like a tyrant.”

Anne listened silently.

“Her sons were hers,” Richard continued. “They don’t trust me at all. They prefer their Woodville uncle.”

Finally, Anne spoke. “Richard, the Prince is only twelve. But in two years, he will be old enough to issue your warrant of arrest, or even worse, death. Based on what you have told me, he is completely under the spell of his mother. His father, the late King, had condemned George to death. That left precedence for him to follow. The Queen, she is waiting for this to happen.”

“What do you suggest me to do?”

“Do you want to be King?”

Hearing that, Richard pushed her away and got up and began to get dressed.

“Richard,” Anne stood, wrapping her cloak around her naked body. “You remember, don’t you? You did promise me on the day you first made love to me, that one day I can be Queen. Now it’s the time. You are not just doing this for me, but for our son! That Woodville woman, she is murderous! She will do everything to protect her power and her lambs! You and I, we need to stand together on this one! Think for us, and think for England! A boy King on the throne, and England will again divided. This time between us and the Woodvilles! There will be wars again! If you were to take the throne, we will rule England together and bring peace—“

Before she could finish, he already left.

Anne was left alone in his study.

_Her husband Richard, he should be King_

***

The next day, the entire castle and London was in disarray.

Lady Anne Neville, Duchess of Gloucester, was missing.

She went out riding in the morning, but only the horse came back.

She had not returned.

Richard ordered the search for her. She was not found for days. Soon, rumors spread all over London. Some said that it was the Duke of Gloucester who secretly murdered his wife. Others said it was the Woodvilles who kidnapped her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please!


	8. Queen

The Duchess of Gloucester was missing, and rumors were all over England and even reached oversea. Some said that it was Richard, Duke of Gloucester and Lord Protector, who had her secretly imprisoned and or even worse, murdered. Others said that she was forcefully taken by the Woodvilles, who intended to use her as a hostage or pawn to force Richard’s hand—to step down and hand power and guardianship of the boy-king to Anthony Woodville.

The rumors grew so strong that Richard’s sister Margaret Duchess of Burgundy wrote him a letter, asking if it is true that he had something to do with his wife’s disappearance.

Angrily, and out of frustration, Richard kicked his desk over.

Where could Anne be?

In the midst of his anger and frustration, the squires came and reported that the Earl has arrived.

Immediately, Richard ran to the courtyard.

There, a boy about ten jumped out of the litter. He landed on his knees and dirtied his hand. As he was rubbing his hands, Richard went to him and held him tightly in his arms. The boy was surprised.

“Papa,” he said. “I can’t breathe. You are holding me to tight.”

Hearing that, Richard released his son and took him by the hand.

“Papa, what is happening?” His son, Ned, asked. “Where is Mama?”

Richard did not answer. He silently took his son into the castle.

He was never this uneasy before. He needed to have his son by his side. Although he was telling himself that he wanted his boy to be safe under his watch, the truth was that he needed Ned to make himself feel safe.

***

Days turned into weeks; and weeks turned into month.

Anne was still not found.

Richard went to the Westminster Abbey to speak with Elizabeth Woodville, hoping to end all these madness. Yet, nothing came out of it. Francis Lovell and Harry Stafford Duke of Buckingham conducted the search but came back empty-handed.

The rumors became more and more intense. Suspicions fell on Richard.

Some said that he wanted to be King of England and planned to put Anne aside and marry a foreign princess.

To clear these rumors, Richard made an appearance before Parliament with his son Ned by his side. In a voice loud and clear, he declared that he had nothing to do with Anne’s disappearance and he prayed day and night for her safety. Presenting his young son, Richard promised that he would never wished any harm upon the woman he loves and the mother of his child.

After his appearance with the Parliament, Richard comforted his son, “Your mother will be home, soon.”

Somewhere in his heart, he knew that Anne will come back.

However, it was not because he was having false hope out of love.

Rather, it was because he knew Anne too well.

Frankly, he was more afraid of the consequences of her actions than her being harmed.

Or perhaps, Anne herself was more scary and frightening than anything else.

***

Richard waited and waited and another month went by. Finally, he decided to conduct the search himself. Almost a decade ago, he found Anne in George’s kitchen; but at the time, Anne had smuggled a note to him to tell him where she was.

But not this time.

Could it be…Anne was really kidnapped or, even worse, possibly murdered?

Just then, in the middle of courtyard, Richard and almost every important men of the English court saw a white horse carrying a woman on his back, coming towards Richard.

It was Anne.

Her hair was a mess.

Her face was unwashed.

She was pale and malnourished.

Her dress was dirty.

The horse stopped a few feet before Richard.

Anne weakly pushed herself up and dismounted, falling onto the hard ground.

Without a word, Richard carried her back into the castle.

***

In her white shift, Anne was put to bed, after a warm bath in rosary water and fed with good food and water. She had not spoken yet.

Richard entered her chamber and the maids curtseyed and left.

It was just the two of them.

He sauntered to her bedside and sat. Taking her hand, he held it so tight as if he wanted to break her fingers.

“I thought I would never see you again,” Anne muttered while sniffling with tears falling from her eyes. “I was so scared…There was a moment, I thought I was going to die. I thought of you, and our son Ned.”

“What happened?” Richard asked quietly.

“I was out riding…and then I fell from the horse. I don’t know what happened afterwards, but when I came to…I was in a dark chamber. I was given food and water…and that was it. I knew I was in danger. And…initially I thought it was the Woodvilles’ loyal supporters, but…” She looked up at Richard.

“Who did this to you?” Richard asked coldly.

“They were giving me food and water through a hole at the bottom of the door,” Anne told him. “From that hole, I heard voices, and names. Sir William Hastings…”

Richard jumped from and stared at her in disbelief.

“It was him…I recognized his voice!” Anne insisted. “I saw the shoes, and it was the exact ones you bestowed him two years ago…those from Venice. He is bedding Jane Shore, the mistress and lover of the late King.”

“Stop!” Richard could not believe his ears.

“No! It’s the truth! And you should know!” Anne refused to stop. “Hastings is betraying you. He is allying with the Woodvilles! The Woodville Queen has a reason for seeking sanctuary against you! She is not—“

“Say it no more!”

“She is not the true wife of King Edward!”

At the end of her voice, a sharp smack was heard. It was so sudden and uncalled for that Anne could not feel the pain of her face. Looking at the man standing before her, she continued as if nothing happened.

“Elizabeth Woodville’s marriage with the late King was never valid and she knew that. The late King Edward had a marriage contract with a woman named Eleanor Butler beforehand. And thus their children are all bastards. Elizabeth Woodville knows that; her brother Anthony Woodville knows that too. Sooner or later, they will have you imprisoned and beheaded. You have to do something, to save yourself, me, and our son!”

Richard only looked at her as if he was looking at a stranger.

“And how did you escaped?” He asked.

“The Queen’s son Thomas Grey,” Anne muttered. “He tried…but I fought back.”

She showed him the bruises and scars on her arms.

“I hit him on the forehead, and the door was opened. I can’t remember what happened afterwards. All I knew was that I had to get out of there.”

Richard’s face was stoned.

Still, he hadn’t said anything regarding his next action.

“The Woodville Queen, she may even be the true culprit behind your brother’s death,” Anne said evenly.

“What?” Richard’s voice barely came out.

“Margaret of Anjou told me,” Anne said. “Before we were married, Margaret of Anjou showed me a vial which carried poison. It was Lady Jacquetta of Rivers who gave that to her. Lady Jacquetta had taught her to use it against her husband when it comes in need. Margaret of Anjou told me that she had done it to the Sleeping King after she had her son. Elizabeth Woodville, she must have learned this from her mother and done it too. With her two young sons and her powerful clan supporting her, she didn’t need her husband anymore; a husband that never was. You never thought how your brother could’ve died so suddenly?”

Richard continued to look at her strangely.

“I will never hurt you Richard,” Anne said as a promise, reading his mind.

Finally, Richard turned to leave.

“You remember your role,” he said evenly. “You are my consort and watch your behavior.”

He left and the door was shut behind him.

***

Richard took action.

Sir William Hastings, Sir Anthony Woodville, and Sir Richard Grey were all under arrest and executed on the charge of treason. Richard had even considered to have Sir Richard Grey hanged, drawn, and quartered on Anne’s account. However, he decided not to and had him beheaded as a nobleman deserved.

Watching these men escorted to their execution, Richard could not help but noticing the scar on the head of Richard Grey.

And the shoes Hastings wore.

Jane Shore was paraded on the street in shame.

After that, Richard declared the marriage between King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville invalid and all their ten children illegitimate.

He was the true heir to the throne.

He and his wife Lady Anne Neville would be crowned together in a joint coronation.

Anne could not believe it.

Finally, it happened.

She was to be Queen of England.

Her father did not die in vain after all.

She remembered the Woodville Queen’s day of coronation. She must have a dress more beautiful and more splendid—

Before she could think any further, Cecily Duchess of York came to see her.

***

“What have you done?” The formidable Duchess of York questioned her.

“I have done nothing,” Anne muttered, looking away.

“What have you done?” Duchess of York pressed. “You think this is all a game? Three lives are taken! Soon there will be more!”

“And how many lives have lost because of that Woodville woman?” Anne retorted. “And how many lives are slaughtered because of your son Edward? One of them was your son George, who had a hand in my father’s death; my father your nephew.”

“Be aware of your ambition!” The Duchess warned. “Dickon will—“

“I am only doing what I need to do to protect my family!” Anne defended herself heatedly. “My father, your nephew, was defeated and killed in battle; he was declared a traitor even though your oldest son the late King Edward owed him for that hollow crown on his head! The late King was ungrateful and unfairly rewarded that Woodville woman’s family lands and wealth and angered everyone in the Court! My father had lost…and I was left a widow with everyone turning their back on me! But I have survived. I have fought and survived all the way and I will not turn back and allow everything I work for to come to nothing! I am a Neville! My father had determined to make one of his daughters Queen, and I am going to make it happen. Honestly, had you taken the same action years ago, your husband would’ve been King and you wouldn’t just be queen—“

Before she could finish, the Duchess slapped her across the face. “You know nothing.”

Wordlessly, Anne rubbed her redden cheek.

“No matter what you say,” she said determinedly. “I shall be Queen of England. And at the coronation ceremony, I will watch as you bow to me.”

A harsh light flashed across the eyes of the Duchess. “I will bow to you, out of pity.”

***

Anne and Richard were crowned together in a joint coronation.

It was significant in many ways, since England hadn’t had a joint coronation for centuries.

Anne’s face was full of pride. She could not hide her smile when the mantle was draped over her golden dress.

Richard, however, had a more complex facial expression. He could not stop looking at Anne from time to time, as if she was a mysterious creature he never knew.

The two walked hand in hand into the Westminster Abbey as everyone bowed to them, including the Duchess of York. But Anne did not feel victorious for some reason, but quickly dismissed whatever anxiousness she had.

It was her day.

And she wanted to enjoy every second of it.

The moment she was crowned, Anne looked at Richard, who was crowned King and looked before him, into the unknown future.

In his mind, Richard could not stop thinking the last conversation between himself and Hastings.

_She is using you! She came to my place in fear, telling me that you are abusing her and planning to usurp the crown! She refused to eat or drink. She told me that she was too afraid of what you will do to her! She told me that you knew that the late King’s marriage is invalid! She has set us up, all of us! She will doom us all! Dickon, open your eyes! She is deceiving you!_

Looking at Anne and her proud face, Richard recalled what his father and namesake Richard Duke of York had told him before his final battle of defeat. “Demons are not scary Dickon,” he had told him. “Humans are, especially women.”

Now he finally understood.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments please.
> 
> This version of Anne Neville is perhaps the darkest and scheming and pitiful among my fics. Historically, Anne Neville was a survivor whose life marred by endless tragedies. Here, in this fic, she is deceiving and scheming. Yet, born and living in these ages, from her perspective, it was the way to be. At age 14, she was sold to the Lancastrians as a pawn to seal the alliance between her father and Margaret of Anjou; her husband was abusive; and all she endured came to nothing. Psychologically, it's not too possible for such a person to continue her life as a Mary Sue or Pollyanna. On top of that, Anne Neville is a daughter of the Kingmaker Warwick and grandniece of Duchess Cecily; both were very intelligent and good strategist. I always thought historically Anne Neville was more than that damsel in distress saved by Richard.
> 
> In TWQ, ironically, when Anne Neville began to act like Lady MacBeth in episode 8, the audience could still feel for her and understand her even though they are taken aback by the sudden change. So if PG tried to blacken her to make EW look better, she failed.
> 
> One more chapter to go and there's a surprise in store in the next chapter.
> 
> I wish everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. Be safe.


	9. The Lonely Soul

The hollowing winds blew into the Tower of London. Candles went out.

She closed her eyes and muttered a prayer. As hard as she tried, she could not sleep.

Tonight would be her very last night in England.

She could hardly wait to leave this land of Hell.

She went to the mirror and studied her reflection. She was old now, very old. Once, she was beautiful, young, and a royal princess. Now, she was a forgotten widow of a dead King with no child of her own.

She was once Queen; but after losing her only son, a crown was only an object too heavy on her head.

The chamber door was open.

The old woman—Margaret of Anjou—turned to see her visitor. During her long imprisonment, her only visitor had been her priest. She did not recognize the visitor at first. Watching her removing the hood, it took her a moment before recognizing that face.

“So we meet again,” she said, half-teasing. “They didn’t announce your arrival.”

And she made a curtsey.

Her visitor—Lady Anne Neville, Queen of England—stared emptily back at her but with dignity. “I’m not here,” she said. “I’ve come to say goodbye.”

“You are sitting on my throne,” Margaret of Anjou said. “How does it feel?”

Anne replied nothing.

Both women, while very different in status, could not be anymore similar.

“I heard the rumors,” Margaret of Anjou continued. “Is it true? Your husband King Richard is going to put you aside and marry the York girl Elizabeth?”

Anne’s eyes hardened.

After becoming Queen of England, Richard had been cold to her. He had neglected her bed; and most of the time, he was avoiding her. He even took measures to block her access to their son. Her letters to Ned were taken and destroyed. He seldom spoke to her.

Then rebellions…

Betrayals…

The disappearance of the princes, King Edward IV’s sons…

Gossips and rumors were everywhere. Was it the King? He did take serious, cruel measures to murder his own nephews to secure his throne? These events had seriously affected Richard. Once he was a decisive, calculating man. Now, he was a man losing his sanity and his health was slipping. Anne went to comfort him, but only met his accusing eyes.

_Did you do it?_

Anne shivered from head to toe. “No,” she shook her head. “Don’t look at me like that!”

She bolted out of his chambers.

How could he see her as a child murderer? She was a mother herself. True, she had been cruel and scheming to become Queen of England; but she wasn’t that cruel.

To prove that her husband had nothing to do with the disappearance of the boys, Anne cordially invited Queen Elizabeth Woodville’s daughters, Elizabeth and Cecily, back to Court. The first sight of Lady Elizabeth gave her the chills.

The girl with her blue eyes, small nose, and fine lips.

She was a reflection of herself in her days of youth.

She was full of sunshine, always laughing. She was quiet most of the time but whenever she spoke, she spoke truthfully from her mind. Richard immediately took a liking of her. Anne was jealous at first, but at the same time, she was relieved to see that Richard found some happiness.

 _It’s fine_ , she told herself. _Richard is fond of his niece._ Soon they will put this all behind them.She was the anointed Queen Consort crowned by his side, and they had a legitimate son. As Queen, she should tolerate and will tolerate.

But then, a dreadful letter arrived.

Her son, Edward of Middleham, is dead.

_Divine punishment!_

All dreadful eyes directed at her.

All these years, all these sins, all these deeds, all these people she’d hurt to obtain the crown…and this was her punishment.

A piercing scream came from her heart and throat.

Everything went black.

When she came to, she found herself alone in her bedchamber. Richard was nowhere to be seen. Only Lady Elizabeth came to her and prayed with her.

Soon, there were words that the King was going to put her aside and make Elizabeth of York his new queen.

***

“Do you still have it?” Margaret of Anjou asked her.

“Have what?”

“That gift I gave you the last time we met,” Margaret of Anjou said.

Anne looked away.

“Haven’t you learned anything?” Margaret of Anjou said coolly. “Men are monsters, all of them. You shouldn’t have mercy. You are queen now and you don’t need him anymore.”

Anne refused to look at her.

“Listen to me! He has not put you aside yet. If you take action now, you will be Dowager Queen! If you were to hesitate and give him time to divorce you, you will end up like me! A forgotten woman with no wealth, no title, no identity…and no one to love…” Her voice began to break.

“Why are you telling me this?” Anne asked.

“Because you remind me of myself,” Margaret of Anjou replied. “You are like a daughter to me.”

Before she could come and embrace her, Anne backed away. “No! I am nothing like you! I will live and die as Queen of England! Just watch, I will keep my crown!”

With that said, she stormed out of her chamber.

She would never see her former mother-in-law again.

***

Yes, she still had it.

Playing with that vial in her hand, Anne wondered if she should do it.

All she needed to do was to pour the poison into the wine. Then, Richard would drink it. He would fall ill and die. She would be the Dowager Queen and her nephew would ascend the throne as King Edward VI. She would take power and rule England.

Just like what her father Richard Neville the Kingmaker had done.

But would it be worth it?

It should be.

After all, this was what she wanted all along.

Wasn’t it?

More than a decade ago, she was playing with this vial and pondering how to catch the eyes of that young Duke of Gloucester. Back then, she was a penniless widow of a traitor and ward of Duke of Clarence. Now it seemed like she was back to where she started.

Why couldn’t she use it?

Why was she debating?

Richard no longer loved her.

He had no use of her.

And she had no use of him.

So why couldn’t she just pour the poison into the wine and had him drink it?

Closing her eyes, she envisioned what her life would be after Richard. She would be in power…but life would have no meaning.

The most painful part after becoming Queen of England was losing him—his love and trust.

No, she could not go on without Richard.

The loneliness and emptiness were frightening.

True, she would have her nephew Teddy and niece Margaret. Still, no one could fill the void left by her son and husband. Besides, Teddy might one day learned to fear and hate after growing up up—just like what Edward III had done to his mother, Isabella of France.

Alas, men…

No matter what she is—peasant woman, noble lady, or queen—she’d be a pawn controlled by men.

That was only a fact in life.

As long as she was alive, she would forever trapped in a cage built by men.

The only escape was death.

But to commit suicide was the most deadly sin.

What she did next, Anne couldn’t even remember why. She poured the poison in one goblet and then rotated the two goblets; one was with poison and the other wasn’t. She rotated and rotated until she had no clue with one was the poisoned one. Then, she randomly picked one and swallowed the wine.

Whether she shall live or die, it shall be God’s decision.

One minute, two minutes, and three…

Suddenly, she couldn’t breathe.

She grabbed her throat and fell onto the ground.

With a handkerchief, she covered her mouth.

She was coughing; she continued to cough until she lost consciousness.

When her ladies found her, they were horrified with what they saw.

The Queen was half-dead on the ground.

Her handkerchief was covered with blood.

***

Anne was placed in bed.

Richard did not visit.

She waited and waited for the moment death come to her.

How could it be that long?

More blood splattered from her mouth.

Why was she still alive?

She opened her eyes, and saw a female figure approaching her bed curtain. Initially she thought it was Lady Elizabeth, but after that lady pulled open the bed curtain, it was revealed to be Isabel Neville, Duchess of Clarence.

Isabel, her dead sister.

“Annie,” she said gently; her eyes were full of care and sadness.

“Izzy,” Anne muttered back and reached out her hand. But her sister was so close and yet so far away.

“Dickon, he will not come,” Isabel said. “You scared him away.”

“No,” Anne shook her head.

“All these things you’ve done,” Isabel continued. “You doomed him.”

“No!” Anne insisted. “You don’t know what you are saying. I was saving him! I was saving us! Our son!”

“But you lost your son,” Isabel said gently. “The poor child died from fever. All alone…without a loving mother by his side…his mother was too in love with power…”

“No!” Anne shook her head. “I didn’t know he was sick. Richard had kept him away from me—“

“How could any man allow a child to be near such a mother?” Isabel said. “You had been cruel to your own kin. To me, to our mother, to Richard, and to yourself. All for nothing.”

Anne tried to defend herself, but was lost in words.

“Richard loves Lady Elizabeth. How could anyone not? That child is full of innocence and kindness. She is everything you are not.”

“Stop…” Anne beseeched.

“You shouldn’t listen to that Anjou woman,” Isabel went on. “How could you? That woman does not care for you. The vial she gave you…it was a fake. The poison is never there. How could any woman so stupid to harm her own husband? Good or bad, they are our only source of protection and support. Haven’t you seen that Woodville woman? Look at her, how pitiful she is after losing her Edward. Without him, she had no one to support her and stand with her. With two small sons, what more could she do besides from taking sanctuary? Being a widow…is too much.”

“Fake…”Anne muttered.

So Margaret of Anjou had played her all along.

Was it all just a joke?

“Your Richard shall die in the battlefield,” Isabel sadly. “The Plantagenet line shall end. Lady Elizabeth will be Queen. You will die a queen and buried in Westminster Abbey but you will not be remembered. Our mother will die destitute and alone. My poor children shall die under the ax.”

At the end of her voice, Ned appeared beside her.

“Ned, my boy!” Anne crawled to him. Before she could reach her, Isabel placed a hand on his shoulder. Both of them began to fade away.

“No! No!” Anne cried out. “No!”

Everything went back.

When she came to, she saw Richard by her bedside, whispering prayers. Lady Elizabeth was standing by the window, looking outside with fears in her eyes.

She looked at Richard and murmured, “My sister was here…and my son, Edward…”

Her eyes became still and her breathing ceased.

It was the sixteenth of March, 1485.

Lady Anne Neville, Queen of England, died.

Some said that she died from consumption; others said that she died from poisoning.

Perhaps she died from a broken heart.

***

Everything became lighter and lighter.

Anne found herself standing before the angels and the judges. Where would she go? Heaven or Hell?

“You have sinned,” a voice said. Before her appeared King Edward IV. “You have harmed so many lives for the sake of the crown.”

“But so have you,” Anne said. “You have murdered even more. Hundreds and thousands, including the lives of my father and your brother George. All just for your power and crown. Haven’t you forgotten? It was my father who put you on the throne and disposed the mad King Henry. It was your brother George who returned to your side to make you King again. But how you repaid them…you are just as cold.”

She looked at the angels, and said, “I only wanted to live…and I did what I believed was right.Why should I be condemned to Hell? Because I am a woman? There are men who had done much more and they are in Heaven.” Then she added, “I don’t want to go to Heaven. All I want is to be with my husband and son again.”

She said no more.

Because nothing more needed to be said.

It was what it was.

She waited for her judgment.

After much waiting, the angels came with her judgment.

“Lady Anne Neville shall remain a spirit, performing good deeds. After hundreds of years, she shall earn a chance to be reunited with her son and husband.”

Hundreds of years…so be it.

***

_2003, York_

“Richard Buckley of ULAS said that he would eat his hat if the hunchback English King was ever discovered…”

The radio continued on as the car stopped.

“Here we are,” the chauffer said.

The girl of fourteen was still drawing in the backseat.

“Dead kings,” she commented. “They are the only kings acceptable in today’s society.”

“Annie,” an older girl in the car rebuked. “Be nice. Don’t forget, Prince Richard also goes to school here.”

“He better behave himself then,” the girl named Annie rolled her eyes. “If his brother wants to sit tight on his outdated throne, then he owes it all to our father. Father can end his reign like snapping his finger.”

“Annie,” the older girl shook her head. “Stay out of trouble.”

“I will,” Annie said while closing her drawing pad. She was drawing a dead hunchbacked skeleton, reaching out to an empty space next to him.

Not too far away, a boy of seventeen saw her and asked, “Who’s that?”

“It’s the younger daughter of PM Neville,” a guy next to him said. “Look at her attitude, she’s just like her father.”

Before Annie could enter the school building, she saw him standing by the door.

His dark green eyes met hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider this a prequel to my fic "The Rebellious Duchess"
> 
> In history, Margaret of Anjou left England years before Anne's ascension to the throne. I took the liberty here to make the story interesting.
> 
> This fic is based on the fairy tale "Little Mermaid" (not Disney's version):
> 
> Anne Neville stepped into the arena of politics and schemes like Little Mermaid was a fish out of the sea into the man's world.
> 
> Margaret of Anjou gave her an option to murder King Richard III so that Anne will keep her crown as Dowager Queen; but Anne chose to sacrifice herself because she could not bear to live such a life. In the fairy tale, Little Mermaid was given a dagger by her sisters after the Prince chose to marry a Princess to save herself from becoming a foam. The Little Mermaid chose to sacrifice herself instead.
> 
> Little Mermaid lost her voice after becoming human is reflected as women losing voice after marrying. In Middle Ages, husbands had power over their wives, especially powerful men. Women, although did hold power, needed their husbands to speak for them in order for their power to be in effect.
> 
> After death, Anne was to become a spirit doing good deeds for hundred of years. Little Mermaid became Daughter of Air and to do good deeds for hundred of years to earn her eternal soul.
> 
> I hope you like this fic.
> 
> Cheers!

**Author's Note:**

> Comment please!
> 
> This will be a short fic.


End file.
